Each one of the kids got onto their bikes and rode back to the arcade. They chained up their bikes again and Mike grabs Wills arm.
"What happened?" He asks carefully.
Will looked dazed and out of it. Everyone stares at him in concern.
"Lonnie." Was all Will could say. He didn't know how to explain it. If it was just Mike then maybe. But to explain it to the whole party right now would be a difficult task.
"Will, Lonnie is dead remember? He had been for over a month." Mike reminds him softly. Will shakes his head. Mike looks back at the party and motions for them to go inside the arcade. They all reluctantly agree and go into the smaller building.
"Will, Lonnie is dead." Mike says again.
"I saw him." Will whispers, unable to control his thoughts or words anymore.
"Maybe it was someone who looked like him." Mike suggests. Will shook his head again.
"I knew him. He's from the city." Will says quietly. Mike looks at him confused.
"Who?"
"The man. Inside Burger King." Will says, refusing to look at Mike.
"Why would he be in Hawkins?" Mike asks him, still unsure. Will shrugs.
"He was Lonnies friend. He knew me. Lonnie must have told him where we were moving before we left." Will thinks to himself out loud. To Mike it made sense.
"Okay...so why is he stalking you?" Mike asks.
Will thinks for a minute. Why is he stalking me? He thought stupidly to himself.
"He knows Lonnie's dead." Will says quickly.
"Yeah but he doesn't know that you did it. No one does apart from Hopper, Jane, Jonathan, you're mom, you and I. Plus all the cops and your parole office. But it's not like it was on the news or anything." Mike tries to reason with him.
"You don't understand Mike! He knows Lonnie's dead." Panic rises in Wills voice. Mike grabbed the smaller boys hand.
"Calm down, talk to me Will." He says softly. Will let
"I'm scared Mike." He says softly, "I'm scared he's going to hurt me because Lonnie isn't around to do it anymore." He tries to stop himself from crying as Mike pulls him into a tight hug.
"No one's going to hurt you Will. I promise." Mike whispers to him. Will smiles ageists Mikes chest.
Mike pulls away from Will with a soft smile.
"Uh, you can go get the party now." Will says, unsure of what else to say. Mike nods and walks into the arcade. Will let's out a deep breath.
A few minutes later the party walks over to Will.
"So what should we do now?" Dustin asks.
"We could go to Mikes house." Jane suggests.
"Why my house?"
"My brother hates all of you, Lucas's parents are both working, Dustin's house is boring, Janes house is to far away." Max complains.
"Well what about Wills house?" Mike asks.
"I don't want to go to my house." Will mutters. Mike sighs in defeat.
"Fine, we can go to my house. Nancy's out with her friends and Holly is at daycare because my dad is sleeping and my moms at work." Mike says as they all grab their bikes.
They all bike over to Mikes house quietly. It was very cold out due to the snow that was already on the ground. Luckily the roads were perfectly cleared so the part could still use their bikes to get around.
Once they arrived at Mikes house they threw the bikes in the driveway and went inside.
"What should we do?" Mike asks the group as they walk into the kitchen. Will stood by Mike as the group stood in a circle around the counter island.
"We could watch a movie." Dustin suggested.
"Or we could do something that's not lame." Max grins.
"What do you suggest?" Jane asks her. Max thinks for a minute.
"What about sledding?" Lucas suggests.
"Yeah we can do that!" Mike says excitedly, "I have some sleds in the garage."
Will looks at him questioningly as the party makes they're way back outside and into the garage. There was only four sleds so Mike mentally decided that him and Will would share one.
They all walked down the road a little ways, Lucas and Jane talking side by side, with Dustin and Max walking side by side behind the first pair. Mike and Will walked in the back of all of them.
"What are we doing?" Will asks him finally.
"I'm assuming you've never been sledding?" Mike asks him. Will shakes his head.
"We'll have lots of fun, I promise." Mike smiles. Will nods eagerly.
The group of friends made it to the empty hill. Jane and Max shared a sled so Dustin and Lucas could each have their own. Will and Mike obviously shared one.
"So what do we do now?" Will asks him.
"Sit down on the sled." Mike grins. The shorter boy looks at him skeptical.
"That doesn't seem very safe."
"Oh trust me it's not," Mike smiles more and grabs Wills arm. "But that's what makes it fun." He guided Will to sit on the sled, holding it in place so it didn't move. It was weird to Will.
Mike sat down behind him and laughed at Wills face. "Ready?" He held onto Wills waist, causing him to blush a little bit. He nodded his head and Mike pushed them both down the hill.
Wills hand latches onto Mikes arm and they both laugh as the wind blows snow into their faces. It was the coolest Will had ever been in his whole life, but it was also one of the most fun things he's ever experienced.
They reached the end of the hill and the sled flipped over, causing both boys to fall out of it. They both laugh as they pull away from each other to sit up.
"That was fun." Will says with another laugh.
"I told you!" Mike stands up and pulls Will up with him, "now come on! We're gonna go down backwards!"
Will laughs and the two boys run back up the hill. Everyone in the party was laughing and sledding and running.
For the first time in his life, Will felt almost completely safe. Recently he's been feeling that a lot. But right now he knew nothing would hurt him. Nothing could hurt him.
***
Word Count: 1,75
Date Published: 12/24/22
YOU ARE READING
Silent Secrets ||A Byler Story||
FanfictionAfter the Byers move to a small town, Hawkins Indiana, Will Byers finds himself questioning everything his father has taught him. So what happens when realizes his real feelings for one of his new friends? There are a lot of triggers to this story...
